Heat transfer machine

ABSTRACT

A device for effecting the transfer of an image from one piece of material to another in which a platen and a heating element are enclosed in a container such that when a vacuum is created therein the platen and heating element are drawn together to compress the materials therebetween and cause the image to be transferred. The platen and heating element are respectively affixed to a base and a cover of the container which are, in turn, interconnected by a hinge structure that permits the cover to move in a linear path of travel toward the base in response to the vacuum, thus avoiding fatiguing of the base and cover walls because of flexing.

y 28, 1974 c. A. HIX ETAL 3,813,270

HEAT TRANSFER MACHINE Filed June 2, 1972 United States Patent 3,813,270HEAT TRANSFER MACHINE Clifford A. Hix and Daniel H. Hix, Pittsburg,Kans., assignors to His: Automation Incorporated, Pittsburg,

Filed June 2, 1972, Ser. No. 258,959 Int. Cl. B32b 31/20 US. Cl. 1563823 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for effecting the transferof an image from one piece of material to another in which a platen anda heating element are enclosed in a container such that when a vacuum iscreated therein the platen and heating element are drawn together tocompress the materials therebetween and cause the image to betransferred. The platen and heating element are respectively atfixed toa base and a cover of the container which are, in turn, interconnectedby a hinge structure that permits the cover to move in a linear path oftravel toward the base in response to the vacuum, thus avoidingfatiguing of the base and cover walls because of flexing.

This invention relates to a heat transfer device adapted especially fortransferring a design from a piece of carrier material, which may be inthe nature of silicon release paper, to another piece of material suchas an article of clothing. The transfer is effected by compress ing andheating the two pieces of material for a predetermined length of timeduring which the image releases from the silicon paper and adheres tothe article of clothing, the process of which is well known for purposesof placing a monogram, novel design or the like, as for example, on ashirt.

Heat transfer machines heretofore used for this particular purpose haveeither been driven mechanically or by air to apply compressive pressureto the two pieces of material. These machines necessitated aconsiderable amount of structure in order to provide the requiredrigidity and equalized pressure throughout the entire area of contactwith a platen and a smooth surfaced heating element between which thetwo pieces of material were compressed.

It is, therefore, a very important object of our invention to provide aheat transfer machine Which utilizes a vacuum to provide the necessarycompressive pressure on two pieces of material, between a platen and aheating element, to apply a heat transfer.

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a heattransfer device that does not require the use of complicated mechanicallinkage or complex airpowered mechanism for applying pressure to themate rials undergoing image transfer.

It is yet another important object of the invention to provide a heattransfer machine in which the problem of structural fatigue due tofrequent and constant flexing is virtually eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heat transfer machinethat is capable of generating sufiicient pressures to apply heattransfers without the need for strong, massive and therefore cumbersomestructural members.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide a hinge structureinterconnecting a base and cover, forming 3,813,270 Patented May 28,1974 a container, which permits the cover to move in a linear path oftravel in response to the vacuum created inside the container, yet whichwill permit swinging of the cover to an open position upon loss of thevacuum.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat transfer machine made inaccordance with our present invention and showing the same in an open,material-receiving condition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, vertical, cross-sectional view of the machine asit would appear when closed;

FIG. 3 is a yet further enlarged, fragmentary, crosssectional view takenalong line 3-3 of 'FIG. 2 showing the details of construction of a sealbetween the base and the cover of the machine;

FIG. 4 illustrates, on the same scale as -FIG. 3, a fragmentary,detailed, vertical cross-sectional view showing the two pieces ofmaterial compressed between the heating element and platen duringoperation of the machine; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view showing amodified form of the heating element using flexible heating wiresembedded in a resilient substance such as silicon rubber.

Referring initially to FIGS. 14, a heat transfer device, broadlydesignated by the numeral 10, is comprised of a base 12 and an overlyingcover 14 to present a hollow container 16. A platen 18 is supported inthe base 12 by a pedestal 20 having a foot 22 affixed to a bottom wall24 of the base 12. The platen 18 includes a pad 26 made of resilientmaterial, positioned thereon to present an upwardly facing, planar face28. While the platen 18 herein illustrated is of a square, planarconfiguration, it is to be understood that the same could be constructedin any number of other configurations including those presenting curved,facial areas.

The pedestal 20 and the foot 22 combine to present a support 30 for theplaten 18, the support 30 also serving as a housing for avacuum-producing means 32 in a chamber 34 interiorly of the pedestal 20.The pedestal 20 includes an upper section 36 having a plurality oforifices 38 which provide communication between thhe interior of thedevice 10 and the chamber 34. A lower section 40 of the pedestal 20supports the vacuum-producing means 32 which is in the nature of an airpump provided with an annular flange 42. The flange 42 engages the upperend of the section 40 in sealing contact therewith to divide the chamber34 into upper and lower compartments 44 and 46 respectively. The platen18 forms the top pOItiOH of the section 36 while the foot 22, which isprovided with a number of exhaust ports 48 which are in alignment withan opening 50 in the Wall 24, forms the lower part of the section 40.

The base 12 and the cover 14 are interconnected by a pair ofspaced-apart hinges 52 that permit the cover 14 to be moved in a linearpath of travel toward the base 12, as well as permit swinging movementof the cover 14 to an open position, as shown in FIG. 1. Each hinge 52includes an elongated, upright loop 54 carried by the base 12, and ahorizontally disposed pin 56 extending through the loop 54 and carriedby the cover 14.

A top wall 5 8 of the cover 14 carries a heating element 60 having asurface 62 adapted to be in spaced, overlying relationship to the platen18 interiorly of the container 16 when the latter is initially closed.The element 60 may be of any metallic, heat-conducting mate 3 rial suchas aluminum, and is provided with a series of thermostaticallycontrolled, electric heating rods 64. The areas of engagement of thefoot 22 with the bottom wall 24, and the element 60 with the cover 14,are essentially the same, the purpose of which will be made clearhereinafter.

Sealing means 66 are interposed between the base 12 and cover 14 forpurposes of preventing the passage of air into the container 16 when thesame is closed. The sealing means 66 may be of any suitable constructionsuch as shown in FIG. 3, wherein a pair of upright, opposed spring-likepanels 68, extending around the entire perimeter of the base 12, receivecorresponding, downwardly projecting wall sections 70 of the cover 14therebetween in clamping engagement. A spring-loaded return means 72 isprovided between the cover 14 and the base 12 and includes a compressionspring 74 operably coupled to a rod 76 In operation, a piece of material80, such as an article of clothing, is placed in overlying relationshipon the pad 26 of the platen 18 after which a second piece of material,as for example, a decal 82 in the nature of a design that has beensilk-screened onto a piece of silicon release paper is placed on thematerial 80 in a manner to effect the transfer of the design from thepaper to the material upon the application of heat and pressure for apredetermined period of time. An operator initially closes the container16 by lowering the cover 14 onto the base 12 to bring the surface 62 ofthe element 60 into close proximity or, depending on materialthicknesses, initial engagement with the decal 82. The lowering of thecover 14 against the action of the spring 74 also engages a microswitch(not shown) to activate the air pump 32 and a timer (not shown) operablycoupled therewith. The engagement of the wall sections 70 of the cover14 with their corresponding panels 68 sufficiently seals the interior ofthe container 16 from the atmosphere so that as the pump 32 withdrawsthe air from the container 16, a vacuum is created therein. The pump 32draws the air through the orifices 38, into the compartment 44, and thenexpels the air into the compartment 46, from which it exhausts throughthe ports 48 into the atmosphere. The drawing of the vacuum interiorlyof the container 16 causes the cover 14 to move toward the base 12,further tightening the seal 66 therebetween by virtue of the wall 70being pulled tightly between the opposing panels 68 as illustrated bydotted lines in FIG. 3. The construction of the hinges 52 permits a lostmotion movement between the pins 56 and the loops 54 so that the covermay move in a substantially linear path of travel throughout itsentirety.

The combined action of the vacuum created in the container with theprmsure of the atmosphere on the container 16 causes the surface 62 andthe face 28 to be drawn into close proximity with one another tocompress and heat the material 80' and the decal 82, thereby effectingthe transfer of the image from the decal to the material.

It is to be noted that the foot 22, pedestal 20, platen 18; and element60' are all in axial alignment so that an equal pressure is maintainedthroughout the entire areas of engagement, thus precluding the need forauxiliary reinforcing structure to insure such equal pressure.Furthermore, the simplicity of operation and construction are clearlyshown in that no exterior mechanism, linkage, or other paraphernalia arerequired to provide the compressive force for the heating element 60 andthe platen 18 as are to be found in previously known heattransfermachines provided for similar purposes. The only auxiliary connectionsrequired would be those to provide an electrical power supply to thepump 32 and the heating element 60. An adjustable waste valve 84 isprovided in the base 12 to manually control the extent of vacuum drawninteriorly of the container for those times when less pressure isdesired than that for which the pump has been calibrated. It isknown,for example, that the extent to which the design penetrates the warp andwoof of a piece of material depends on the amount of pressure as well asthe time span during which the pressure is exerted. The greater thepressure, the more penetration there is of the design into the material.

The walls 24 and 58 of the base and cover respectively, are capable offlexing toward one another in response to the vacuum to insure a uniformand consistent engagement of the element 60 with the decal 82, althoughit is to be understood that normally the linear movement of the cover 14toward the base 12 provides sufficient engagement, it being desirable tolimit the flexing of the walls 24 and 58 to prevent premature fatiguedue to the flexing thereof.

Upon deactivation of the pump 32 by the timer, the vacuum is lost, atwhich time the cover 14 is urged toward an open position, as shown inFIG. 1, by the return means 72, at which time the release paper isremoved from the material and the latter is then subsequently taken fromthe platen 18.

FIG. 5 shows a cover 114 having an alternate heating element affixedthereto which is comprised of a resilient, compressible substance, suchas a silicon rubber sheet, surrounding a plurality of flexible heatingwires 164. The remaining components shown in FIG. 4 are the same asthose referred to in the earlier embodiment and are identified by likenumerals. The combination of the resilient element 160 with theresilient pad 26 of the platen 18 permits the surface 62 and the pad 26to conform with irregularities such as those presented by buttons, snapsor the like on articles of clothing while an even, constant compressivepressure is maintained on the materials by the platen 1'8 and element 60throughout their areas of engagement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device utilizing heat and pressure for effecting the transfer ofan image from one piece of material to another, said device comprising:

a container for said material;

said container including a base and a cover for said base;

platen defining pedestal means disposed on said base and adapted toreceive and support said materials;

a heating element carried by said cover and having a surface adapted toengage one of said pieces of material when the materials are supportedby said pedestal means;

sealing means interposed between said base and said cover for preventingthe passage of air into said container when the container is initiallyclosed; and

vacuum producing means incorporated with said pedestal means and incommunication with the interior of said container and activatable forevacuating air from the initially closed container and expelling saidair into the atmosphere whereby said surface and said pedestal means aredrawn into close proximity with the surface in engagement with the saidone piece of material to thereby compress and heat said materials, andtransfer said image.

2. In a device utilizing heat and pressure for effecting the transfer ofan image from one piece of material to another, said device comprising:

a container for said material;

said container including a base and a cover for said base;

a platen disposed on said base and adapted to receive and support saidmaterials;

a heating element carried by said cover and having a surface aadpted toengage one of said pieces of material when the materials are supportedby said platen;

sealing means interposed between said base and said cover for preventingthe passage of air into said container when the container is initiallyclosed;

vacuum producing means in communication with the interior of saidcontainer and activatable for evacuating air from the initially closedcontainer whereby said surface and said platen are drawn into closeproximity with the surface in engagement with the said one piece ofmaterial to thereby compress and heat said materials, and transfer saidimage; and

a support for said platen aflixed to said base,

the support including a foot and a pedestal, the foot of said supportand said element having essentially the same area of engagement withsaid base and said cover respectively,

said vacuum-producing means including a vacuum pump mounted on thepedestal of said support to draw air from the closed container and expelsaid air into the atmosphere.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said foot is provided with anexhaust port and wherein said base has an opening in alignment with saidport, said air being expelled into the atmosphere from said pump throughsaid port and said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,681,171 8/1972 Hojo et a1156-382 2,624,389 1/1953 Bungay 156-583 3,255,843 6/1966 MacDonald156-382 3,205,114 9/1965 Gross 156-285 2,794,104 5/1957 Nathan 156-583CHARLES E. VAN HORN, Primary Examiner C. WESTON, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

